Tomato Spanakorizo – Greek Spinach Rice

Date Published: Feb 23rd, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 23rd, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: easy, <30 mins, vegetarian, healthy, snacks, low cal
Serves: 6 as a side | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Jump to recipe |

Spanakorizo is a traditional Greek spinach rice dish. I had never heard of it until I came upon it through my weekly foodie email subscriptions that I use for inspiration in things to cook for the week. The version that I saw was a lemony version with dill, mint, and crumbled feta (check out the recipe here), but upon further research I found a tomato version of it as well that looked just as good. Both dishes are called ‘Spanakorizo’ = spinach rice and when you google recipes for spanakorizo, you’ll get a mix of some with tomato and some without. After lots of recipe comparisons, I went with the saucy tomato version by Mia Kouppa and it was DELICIOUS and so easy! This recipe is a direct adaptation from hers (it’s perfect, I didn’t change much other than added some extra measurements of ingredients and rewrote some directions to suit my brain) – I’d recommend checking out her website with more photos and explanations to the history of the dish.

Tomato Spanakorizo – Greek Spinach Rice

Lemon Spanakorizo – Greek Spinach Rice

Both versions of spanakorizo are great, so if you’ve got the time you should definitely try making both. The lemon version is more dry like a regular rice pilaf and pairs nicely as a side dish, but this version is saucy and more flavourful which is great when eaten with toasted bread.

This recipe uses a LOT of spinach, which is perfect if you find yourself in abundance over the growing season. You can use regular mature spinach or baby spinach. It’s currently winter time in NYC and fresh mature spinach is hard to come by, so I bought the big box of baby spinach from Costco for this recipe – it’s actually the perfect amount!

This recipe does make quite a bit, so if you’re only cooking for 2-3 people, I’d recommend halving the recipe.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1/2 cup olive oil
4 spring onions, chopped
450g (1 lb) of fresh spinach, chopped coarsely – I used the big box of baby spinach leaves from Costco, but if you’re using mature spinach, make sure to chop it into smaller pieces so you don’t get stringy cooked spinach in the end)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 cup (180g) medium grain rice, uncooked and rinsed
2 cups (500ml) tomato passata
2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
1/2 tsp kosher/cooking salt + more to taste
Optional to serve: crumbled feta cheese, toasted bread

Directions:

In a medium sized pot on MED heat, heat a 1/2 cup olive oil then add in the spring onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Next, add in the spinach, parsley, and rice. If the pot is overflowing with the spinach, stir the spinach into the olive oil in small batches and let it wilt before adding more.

Pour in the tomato passata, chicken stock, and salt. Let it come to a boil then turn the heat down to LOW and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes with the lid on until the rice is cooked.

Done! Serve as a side dish or on its own family-style with toasted bread. Optional to sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese over.

Summarized Recipe:

Tomato Spanakorizo – Greek Spinach Rice

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
4 spring onions, chopped
450g (1 lb) of fresh spinach, chopped coarsely – I used the big box of baby spinach leaves from Costco, but if you’re using mature spinach, make sure to chop it into smaller pieces so you don’t get stringy cooked spinach in the end)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 cup (180g) medium grain rice, uncooked and rinsed
2 cups tomato passata
2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
1/2 tsp kosher/cooking salt + more to taste
Optional to serve: crumbled feta cheese, toasted bread

Directions:

In a medium sized pot on MED heat, heat a 1/2 cup olive oil then add in the spring onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Next, add in the spinach, parsley, and rice. If the pot is overflowing with the spinach, stir the spinach into the olive oil in small batches and let it wilt before adding more.
Pour in the tomato passata, chicken stock, and salt. Let it come to a boil then turn the heat down to LOW and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes with the lid on until the rice is cooked. Done! Serve as a side dish or on its own family-style with toasted bread. Optional to sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese over.

February 23, 2024February 23, 2024

Abby1 Comment

Lemon Spanakorizo – Greek Spinach Rice

Date Published: Feb 23rd, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 23rd, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: sides, easy, healthy, low cal, vegetarian
Serves: 6 as a side | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Jump to recipe |

Spanakorizo is a traditional Greek spinach rice dish that is lemony and savoury with hints of salt from the feta crumbled on top. It’s flavourful enough on its own, but would pair well with a fish or pork roast. Alternatively, you can mix in some shredded rotisserie chicken and make it a complete meal!

I discovered this dish through my weekly email subscriptions of a foodie website and as soon I saw it, I knew I had to make it. I researched a few different recipes and most of them were very similar with a few differing factors, so I combined a couple of different recipes based on their reader reviews and came up with this one! (Through my research I also learned of a tomato version of a spanakorizo that looked just as good – you can check out the recipe here).

Tomato Spanakorizo – Greek Spinach Rice

Lemon Spanakorizo – Greek Spinach Rice

This recipe does make quite a bit, so if you’re only cooking for 2-3 people, I’d recommend halving the recipe.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced small
1.5 cups (290g) medium-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup packed (23g) fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup packed (20g) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
450g (1 lb) of fresh spinach, chopped coarsely – I used the big box of baby spinach leaves from Costco, but if you’re using mature spinach, make sure to chop it into smaller pieces so you don’t get stringy cooked spinach in the end
2.25 cups (560ml) chicken or vegetable stock, or more as needed
1/3 cup feta cheese, or more for sprinkling

Directions:

Remove lemon zest in large wide strips using a peeler or paring knife. Set aside.

In a large pot on MED heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the garlic and onion together until the onions are soft.

Next, add in the rice, lemon zest (from step 1), dill, mint, salt and pepper. Sauté for 30 seconds, then add in the spinach and chicken broth. It will seem like a LOT of spinach at this stage, but continue to stir it through and the spinach will wilt down. Once the spinach has all wilted, let the liquid come to a boil them simmer on LOW heat for 25 minutes with the lid on.

After 25 minutes, take off the lid and stir it around. Taste and if the rice is a bit under, add a splash of chicken broth and cook a little longer with the lid on until cooked. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and use a fork to fluff up the rice. Remove the pieces of lemon zest and let the rice sit without the lid for 5 mins to absorb any remaining liquids. Drizzle a bit of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of feta cheese over before serving. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Lemon Spanakorizo – Greek Spinach Rice

Ingredients:

1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced small
1.5 cups (290g) medium-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup packed (23g) fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup packed (20g) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
450g (1 lb) of fresh spinach, chopped coarsely – I used the big box of baby spinach leaves from Costco, but if you’re using mature spinach, make sure to chop it into smaller pieces so you don’t get stringy cooked spinach in the end
2.25 cups (560ml) chicken or vegetable stock, or more as needed
1/3 cup feta cheese, or more for sprinkling

Directions:

Remove lemon zest in large wide strips using a peeler or paring knife. Set aside.
In a large pot on MED heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the garlic and onion together until the onions are soft.
Next, add in the rice, lemon zest (from step 1), dill, mint, salt and pepper. Sauté for 30 seconds, then add in the spinach and chicken broth. It will seem like a LOT of spinach at this stage, but continue to stir it through and the spinach will wilt down. Once the spinach has all wilted, let the liquid come to a boil them simmer on LOW heat for 25 minutes with the lid on. After 25 minutes, take off the lid and stir it around. Taste and if the rice is a bit under, add a splash of chicken broth and cook a little longer with the lid on until cooked.
When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and use a fork to fluff up the rice. Remove the pieces of lemon zest and let the rice sit without the lid for 5 mins to absorb any remaining liquids. Drizzle a bit of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of feta cheese over before serving. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Enjoy!

February 23, 2024February 23, 2024

Abby1 Comment

Segedínský Guláš – Czech Pork Sauerkraut Goulash

Date Published: Feb 14th, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 14th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Czech, easy, mains, soups
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 1.5 hours

Jump to recipe |

This is one of Toby’s favourite Czech dishes (next to svičkova), so of course I made it a personal challenge to try and make the best segedinsky goulash I could. After 3 tries, I think I did it. Not to toot my own horn, but this is pretty fucking good and Toby would agree. It’s a hearty goulash with pork as its main protein and it’s slowly simmered in bacon, paprika, and sauerkraut, then topped off with a little sour cream. I’m not usually a fan of sauerkraut (unless it’s a sweet braised version), but when it’s cooked into a savoury stew like this, it adds a nice texture and just a hint of tartness that balances it out nicely.

Toby has no idea why it’s called “segedinsky” since it doesn’t translate to anything in Czech. After a little googling, I learned that this dish has a few possible origins but the most popular two explanations are: 1) a Hungarian dish from the city of Szeged in Hungary that is known for their paprika, or 2) from a Hungarian writer Jozsef Székély who came to a restaurant that ran out of food at closing and requested the leftover goulash and sauerkraut to be mixed together to make a meal. Whatever the true origin, there’s no doubt it has Hungarian roots and has been widely popular in surrounding countries including Czech and Germany!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

200g (roughly 6 slices) smoked thick-cut bacon, sliced small
900g (2 lbs) pork shoulder, cut into 2.5cm pieces
1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed
3 medium (~1.2kg) onions, diced
1 Tbsp sweet ground paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups (720ml) beef broth
300g sauerkraut, without the liquid
1/2 cup (100g) sour cream
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a large pot on MED heat, add a light drizzle of oil and the bacon. Cook for 5-8 minutes to let the bacon fat render and release its oils. It’ll be done when the bacon is lightly browned and starting to get crispy. Make sure to regularly scrape the bottom of the pot so the brown bits don’t stick. Once done, remove just the bacon from the pot and set aside (leave the oil in the pot – you’re going to use this to cook the rest of the dish).

In the same pot, turn the heat up to MED-HIGH and add in the pork shoulder pieces and sear each side for 1-2 minutes until it’s browned on the outside (you do not want to cook the pork through at this stage, just sear the outside). Remove the pork from the pot and set aside (leave the oil in the pot).

Still in the same pot, turn the heat down to MED and add in the caraway seeds and onions. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until the onions soften and start to brown.

Add back in the bacon (from step 1), seared pork (from step 2), paprika and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds until the garlic becomes fragrant, then add in the flour. Continue to sauté together for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until all the flour is mixed well. Pour the beef broth into the pot and stir everything around, making sure to scrape up anything that stick to the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to HIGH to bring it to a boil, then simmer on LOW covered with a lid for 30 minutes.

While you’re waiting, put your sauerkraut into a strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Roughly chop the sauerkraut into smaller pieces and set aside.

Once the broth has finished boiling, add the chopped sauerkraut into the pot, stir it around, then let it continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or until the pork is cooked, with the lid on. Try not to overcook your goulash or else the sauerkraut starts to lose its texture.

Once the soup has finished, turn the heat off, add in the sour cream and taste to adjust salt to preference. Serve hot with bread or potato dumplings!

*Note: If you’re going to double the recipe for a batch-cook, you’ll have to simmer the soup longer. This is because when you double the ingredients, you’ll end up with more moisture overall so your soup will be more dilute and simmering it longer will reduce the amount of liquid and concentrating the flavours. I’d recommend simmering it longer before you add in the sauerkraut so you don’t overcook the sauerkraut.

Summarized Recipe:

Segedínský Guláš – Czech Pork Sauerkraut Goulash

Date Published: Feb 14th, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 14th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Czech, easy, mains, soups
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

200g (roughly 6 slices) smoked thick-cut bacon, sliced small
900g (2 lbs) pork shoulder, cut into 2.5cm pieces
1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed
3 medium (~1.2kg) onions, diced
300g sauerkraut, without the liquid
1 Tbsp sweet ground paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups (720ml) beef broth
1/2 cup (100g) sour cream
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a large pot on MED heat, add a light drizzle of oil and the bacon. Cook for 5-8 minutes to let the bacon fat render and release its oils. It’ll be done when the bacon is lightly browned and starting to get crispy. Make sure to regularly scrape the bottom of the pot so the brown bits don’t stick. Once done, remove just the bacon from the pot and set aside (leave the oil in the pot – you’re going to use this to cook the rest of the dish).
In the same pot, turn the heat up to MED-HIGH and add in the pork shoulder pieces and sear each side for 1-2 minutes until it’s browned on the outside (you do not want to cook the pork through at this stage, just sear the outside). Remove the pork from the pot and set aside (leave the oil in the pot).
Still in the same pot, turn the heat down to MED and add in the caraway seeds and onions. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until the onions soften and start to brown.
Add back in the bacon (from step 1), seared pork (from step 2), paprika and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds until the garlic becomes fragrant, then add in the flour. Continue to sauté together for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until all the flour is mixed well.
Pour the beef broth into the pot and stir everything around, making sure to scrape up anything that stick to the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to HIGH to bring it to a boil, then simmer on LOW covered with a lid for 30 minutes.
While you’re waiting, put your sauerkraut into a strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Roughly chop the sauerkraut into smaller pieces and set aside.
Once the broth has finished boiling, add the chopped sauerkraut into the pot, stir it around, then let it continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or until the pork is cooked, with the lid on. Try not to overcook your goulash or else the sauerkraut starts to lose its texture.
Once the soup has finished, turn the heat off, add in the sour cream and taste to adjust salt to preference. Serve hot with bread or potato dumplings!

February 14, 2024February 14, 2024

Abby1 Comment

Vepřo knedlo zelo (pork, dumpling, sauerkraut) – a Czech national dish

Date Published: Feb 14th, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 14th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: czech, mains
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 3 hours (mainly to wait until the potatoes cool) | Cook time: 3 hours

Jump to recipe |

Vepřo knedlo zelo is Czech’s national dish (or at least one of them – I couldn’t find an official source to state what the official national Czech dish is, but most sources have pointed to this one (another source claims it to be svičkova)). Regardless of whether or not it’s the true national dish, it’s definitely very popular and found in most Czech restaurants.

The name of the dish directly translates to the 3 components that make up the dish: vepřo = pork, knedlo = dumpling, zelo = sauerkraut. Disclaimer: this page is not a recipe page of all 3 components, but rather a guide to making all 3 components in order with links to each of their dedicated recipes. I’ve chosen to split it up this way to make it easier for the reader to navigate rather than writing it all in one monstrously long recipe post with a million photos. Each component is also delicious on their own that you can pair it with other dishes instead of just in a vepřo knedlo zelo.

1. Vepřo = pork

The pork portion is usually a pork shoulder, which can be roasted or smoked. The first time I had this dish was at babička’s place and she served it with a smoked pork shoulder. She was cooking away with it for hours that the whole apartment smelled like smoked ham – I’m pretty sure my jacket still has a hint of it 4 weeks later 😅. When I set out to recreate this dish, we visited the lovely little Polish butcher a block away from us and found that they sell beautiful already-cooked smoked pork shoulder! We couldn’t resist and bought a few hundred grams (it was delicious). We still go back there when we’re feeling too lazy to cook and heat it up with sauerkraut and dumplings.

Instead of a smoked pork, a roast pork is the other version of this dish. When I first made it from scratch, I didn’t expect much since the steps were so simple and straightforward. I also don’t usually cook with pork much so my experience with making pork roasts is very limited, but I’ve gotta say, it came out really fucking good – even Toby approves! Although the smoked pork is good and easy, the roasted version is a lot juicier in my opinion. The recipe for the roasted pork shoulder is below.

Vepřová Pečeně – Czech-style Pork Roast

2. Knedlo = dumpling

Knedlíky are Czech dumplings. There are a few different kinds of Czech dumplings, but in this particular dish, it’s commonly served with either the bread version (houskové knedlíky) or the potato version (bramborové knedlíky) (you can find out more about the difference here). I personally prefer it with a heavier dense potato dumpling, but it can be served with the lighter fluffier bread dumpling version too. In this guide, I will reference the potato dumpling version (which happens to be easier too!). Here are links to both types of dumplings:

Czech Potato Dumplings – Bramborové Knedlíky

Czech Bread Dumplings – Houskové Knedlíky

3. Zelo = sauerkraut

You can serve this dish with whatever style of sauerkraut you like, but I prefer it with a sweet smokey version like this one here. Since this is my favourite sauerkraut, I will also be writing this guide in accordance to that recipe. Fun fact: I actually liked this version of sauerkraut so much that I needed to find a meat dish to go with it which is how I got onto making a vepřo knedlo zelo in the first place. I never would’ve made this dish if I hadn’t succeeded in making the sauerkraut 🙃.

Braised Bacon & Mushroom Sweet Sauerkraut

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the guide! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Directions:

1. Make the pork roast first. This is the most time-consuming and will take 2.5-3 hours to cook. Although lengthy, all this time is literally waiting. There’s nothing else that needs to be done with the pork once you pop it in the oven which makes it the perfect time to prepare everything else. When it’s done, measure it with a meat thermometer to ensure that it’s cooked and slice it. Easy. If you’re not ready to serve it yet while you finish the other components, leave it drenched in the drippings/oils from the pan to keep it moist and soaking up flavour.

2. While the pork is roasting in the oven, start making the potato dumplings. It only takes about 15-20 minutes to put the dough together and once the loaves are formed, it takes about half an hour to cook each batch. If you have extra stove space and extra pots, you can get two pots going at the same time so you can cook them all at once to save time rather than waiting for back to back 30 minutes. Make sure you set timers so you don’t forget about them.

3. When the dumplings are boiling, start making the sauerkraut. It takes about 30-40 minutes in total including two 15 minute braising times during the process, so while you’re waiting you can intermittently check on the dumplings.

4. Once everything is done, plate it up and serve. Enjoy!

Recipes used:

Vepřová Pečeně – Czech-style Pork Roast

Czech Potato Dumplings – Bramborové Knedlíky

Braised Bacon & Mushroom Sweet Sauerkraut

February 14, 2024February 14, 2024

Abby3 Comments

Vepřová Pečeně – Czech-style Pork Roast

Date Published: Feb 14th, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 14th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: czech, mains, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 3 hours

Jump to recipe |

Pork is one of the more common proteins seen in Czech cuisine – in fact, it’s part of their national dish: Vepřo knedlo zelo (= pork + dumplings + sauerkraut). This recipe is for a Czech-style roast pork (vepřová pečeně = “pork roast”) and is the star component of the Czech national dish. You can follow the links below if you’d like to make a full vepřo knedlo zelo.

I originally started researching making a Czech roast pork when I discovered a new found love for sweet sauerkraut that Toby’s babička made. When I perfected the recipe for the braised sweet sauerkraut, I needed a protein to go with it so I looked into making the roast pork that commonly accompanies it. I found a simple recipe at first, and after some tweaking, a beautiful caramelized glistening juicy hunk of meat was born. This pork is so good that it is worth making on its own. It’s flavourful enough to have it by itself or you can pair it with sauerkraut, a rajská sauce, mashed potatoes…anything you want! The best part is that this dish is SO easy to make with minimal ingredients. The ONLY downfall is that it takes about 3 hours, HOWEVER, it’s 3 hours of waiting and you literally do not have to do anything other than wait for the timer to go off and double check that it has cooked through with a meat thermometer. To make it even easier, you can marinate the meat in the rub the night before and the next morning, just pop it in the oven a few hours before lunch time and when it’s ready, just slice and serve. 😊

If you want to make the full vepřo knedlo zelo dish, the recipe for the potato dumplings (bramborové knedlíky) can be found here and the sauerkraut can be any sauerkraut, but I prefer to have it with a sweet sauerkraut like this one. You can also find a guide on how to put it all together here.

Vepřo knedlo zelo = roast pork + potato dumplings + sauerkraut

Czech Potato Dumplings – Bramborové Knedlíky

Braised Bacon & Mushroom Sweet Sauerkraut

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsps caraway seeds, crushed
2.5 Tbsps kosher salt
2 x 900g (2 x 2 lbs) pieces of pork shoulder, get ones with marbling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 160˚C (325˚F) on “roast” setting if you’ve got the option, or otherwise ‘bake’ will be fine.

In a small bowl, make the seasoning rub by mixing together: olive oil, garlic, crushed caraway seeds, and salt. Tip: to easily crush caraway seeds without the mess, you can put it in between a sheet of baking paper and use a rolling pin to crush it by rolling over it a few times. Crushing the caraway seeds releases its flavour.

Use the rub and massage it evenly around the entire pork shoulder. Tip: To save time, you can do this the night before and let the pork marinate in the rub in the fridge overnight in a sealed container. When ready to cook, take it out of the fridge half an hour beforehand to let it come to room temp.

Place the pork in the middle of a lined baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 2.5 – 3 hours (or until the middle of the pork measures 62˚C and the juices are no longer pink).

Now is a good time to make any sides that you want to serve with the roast pork. The most common is with a sauerkraut and Czech potato dumpling/knedliky like in a vepřo knedlo zelo.

When the pork has finished, take it out of the oven and let it rest on the counter for 5-10 mins before slicing. After slicing, drench each slice in the drippings/ oils from the baking tray before serving. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Vepřová Pečeně – Czech-style Pork Roast

Date Published: Feb 14th, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 14th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: czech, mains, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsps caraway seeds, crushed
2.5 Tbsps kosher salt
2 x 900g (2 x 2 lbs) pieces of pork shoulder, get ones with marbling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 160˚C (325˚F) on “roast” setting if you’ve got the option, or otherwise ‘bake’ will be fine.
In a small bowl, make the seasoning rub by mixing together: olive oil, garlic, caraway seeds, and salt.
Use the rub and massage it evenly around the entire pork shoulder.
- Tip: To save time, you can do this the night before and let the pork marinate in the rub in the fridge overnight in a sealed container. When ready to cook, take it out of the fridge half an hour beforehand to let it come to room temp.
Place the pork in the middle of a lined baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 2.5 – 3 hours (or until the middle of the pork measures 62˚C and the juices are no longer pink).
- Now is a good time to make any sides that you want to serve with the roast pork. The most common is with a sauerkraut and Czech potato dumpling/knedliky like in a vepřo knedlo zelo.
When the pork has finished, take it out of the oven and let it rest on the counter for 5-10 mins before slicing. After slicing, drench each slice in the drippings/ oils from the baking tray before serving. Enjoy!

February 14, 2024February 14, 2024

Abby1 Comment

Braised Bacon & Mushroom Sweet Sauerkraut

Date Published: Feb 13th, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 13th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: sides, Czech, easy
Serves: 4-6 (large bowl) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

Jump to recipe |

I’m not a fan of sour foods in general (unless it’s sour patch kids 😜) so its no surprise that sauerkraut has never been something I’ve wanted to try and make…until now!

Toby likes his sauerkraut so I usually give him my portion, but during our last trip to Czech to visit his grandparents, babička made a sweet and creamy version with caraway seeds and the sourness of the sauerkraut was minimal. Needless to say, it was DELICIOUS paired with the smoked pork shoulder that she made – we nearly ate the whole pot! Before we left, she gave me verbal recipe instructions with ‘guestimated’ ingredient amounts (you’re not an OG if you measure when you cook) and when we got home to Brooklyn, I was determined to recreate it ASAP while the flavours were still fresh in my mind. Sadly, the guestimated measurements did not yield the same beautiful sweet sauerkraut she made 💔. Mine somehow came out too sour and yet too sweet at the same time lol, no idea how I achieved that. Although disappointed, I was still determined to learn how to make a sweet sauerkraut and in my search of other Czech-style sauerkrauts that might be close to babička’s, I found a sweet braised version from Cook Like Czechs that was intriguing. When I made it for the first time, it was actually – dare I say it – better than babička’s 🤐 ! The sweetness level was exactly the same but this new version had bacon in it! I made it a second time with some minor tweaks and added in some leftover mushrooms I had in the fridge and it was somehow even more AMAZING. This is now my favourite sauerkraut hands down, and I’m going to show it off – to you 😛.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

450g sauerkraut, without the liquid
350g portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 Tbsp of pork lard, or olive oil
2 large (~1.1kg) onions, diced small
130g smoked thick-cut bacon, sliced into small pieces
1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed
1.75 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsps (25g) all-purpose flour
Salt to taste

Directions:

Place the sauerkraut in a strainer over a bowl and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. If you prefer your sauerkraut on the more sour side, save this liquid for later (I prefer mine on the sweeter side, so I just discard this liquid). Set aside.

In a pan on MED heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes or until cooked. Put the mushrooms into a bowl and set aside until the end.

In the same pan on MED heat, melt the pork lard and add in the onions. Sauté until the onions soften and become lightly browned (5-8 minutes).

Add in the caraway seeds, bacon, and sauerkraut. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.

Add in half cup of water (or the sauerkraut liquid from step 1 if using) then turn the heat down to LOW and cover with a lid. Let the sauerkraut braise for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, add in the sugar and flour. Mix together thoroughly then let it braise on LOW heat with the lid on for another 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, add in the cooked mushrooms from step 1 (do NOT add in any mushroom liquid that may have accumulated during this time, just the mushrooms). Stir until heated through then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and sugar to your preference. It’s meant to be a sweet, smokey, and slightly sour sauerkraut with a kind of creamy texture. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Braised Bacon & Mushroom Sweet Sauerkraut

Date Published: Feb 13th, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 13th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: sides, Czech, easy
Serves: 4-6 (large bowl) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

450g sauerkraut, without the liquid
350g portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 Tbsp of pork lard, or olive oil
2 large (~1.1kg) onions, diced small
130g smoked thick-cut bacon, sliced into small pieces
1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed
1.75 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsps (25g) all-purpose flour
Salt to taste

Directions:

Place the sauerkraut in a strainer over a bowl and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. If you prefer your sauerkraut on the more sour side, save this liquid for later (I prefer mine on the sweeter side, so I just discard this liquid). Set aside.
In a medium pot or pan (make sure you have a lid) on MED heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes or until cooked. Put the mushrooms into a bowl and set aside until the end.
In the same pan on MED heat, melt the pork lard and add in the onions. Sauté until the onions soften and become lightly browned (5-8 minutes).
Add in the caraway seeds, bacon, and sauerkraut. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes, then add in half cup of water (or the sauerkraut liquid from step 1 if using) then turn the heat down to LOW and cover with a lid. Let the sauerkraut braise for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, add in the sugar and flour. Mix together thoroughly then let it braise on LOW heat with the lid on for another 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, add in the cooked mushrooms from step 1 (do NOT add in any mushroom liquid that may have accumulated during this time, just the mushrooms). Stir until heated through then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and sugar to your preference. It’s meant to be a sweet, smokey, and slightly sour sauerkraut with a kind of creamy texture. Serve warm. Enjoy!

February 13, 2024February 14, 2024

Abby4 Comments

Czech Potato Dumplings – Bramborové Knedlíky

Date Published: Feb 13th, 2024 | Last Updated: Feb 13th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Czech, sides, breads, vegetarian
Serves: 8-10 | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 1.5 hours total (20-30mins per dumpling)

Jump to recipe |

What are Czech Dumplings or Knedlíky?

Knedlíky or dumplings are a staple side dish in Czech food. I see it as THE carb in a Czech meal. Similar to noodles in Asian food or pasta in Italian food, if there’s something rich, saucy, or soupy, you bet it’ll be served with a knedlíky.

There are a few different kinds of dumplings, but the two most common ones I’ve seen in Czech are the fluffy bread dumplings (houskové knedlíky) and the denser potato dumplings (bramborové knedlíky). The lighter bread dumplings are made with a yeast dough so it’s fluffy but still with a bit of structure and chew and best served with a saucy dish such as svičkova to soak up all the flavours whereas the potato dumplings are much more dense and is like eating a side dish of potatoes that can balance the richness of a dish such as something served with sauerkraut like a vepřo knedlo zelo. Of the two, the bread dumplings are more commonly seen and you can very easily buy them at the supermarket in Czech instead of making them fresh, but I don’t think anyone will be angry if you use them interchangeably. This recipe is for the potato dumplings (bramborové knedlíky). If you want to make the bread dumplings, you can find the recipe here.

Bread Dumpling / Houskové Knedlíky – lighter, fluffier

Do I need to use a special type of flour?

These dumplings are traditionally made with ‘sharp flour’ or ‘continental flour’ which is a coarser flour made from hard wheat that is common in Europe, but actually super difficult to find in regular grocery stores. As a result, this recipe uses a 3:2 ratio mix of all-purpose flour and farina/cream of wheat to achieve the same texture.

Although these dumplings are pretty easy to make, please allow enough time to cook them all. If you don’t have a big pot, you may have to cook them one or two at a time (which is what I always end up doing) and it takes 20-30 mins each time (allow 1.5 hours to cook all 4). If you’ve got extra pots and the stove space, boil them all at once in separate pots so they’re all ready at the same time! I don’t know why it took me so long to think of this.

How do I freeze leftover knedlíky?

Every recipe for knedlíky I’ve seen always makes WAY more than what you need. My guess is that since you’re going through all the effort of making them, you might as well make a bigger batch and freeze them to have on hand. This recipe is no different. If you follow the instructions, you’ll have enough knedlíky for 8 – 10 people. I had thought about halving the recipe when I was writing it, but then remembered how well they keep in the freezer and how easy it is to have dumplings in a pinch when you’re short on time or too lazy to put in the effort, so I left the proportions alone.

I find it best to freeze leftover dumplings in slices rather than a log so it defrosts quickly. You can either freeze them in single portions or altogether in a bag, but make sure you separate the slices a little so it’ll be easier to separate when you only want to defrost a few slices. I freeze them in a ziploc bag or you can wrap it up in cling wrap individually.

To defrost and reheat: The best way to get the best texture is to steam them, especially if you are reheating from frozen. However, I’m lazy and I take out my desired portion and leave it in the fridge the night before then microwave them with a sprinkle of water before serving.

*Note: This recipe and its instructions have been adapted from Cook Like Czechs (who’s got way more beautiful-looking dumplings than I could ever achieve – check it out).

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

900g yellow/Yukon gold potatoes
260g (1.5 cups) all-purpose flour
160g (just under 1 cup) cream of wheat/farina
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
1 tsp kosher/cooking salt
1 egg, whisked

Directions:

Prepare the potatoes (make ahead of time): Boil the potatoes with the skin on until soft and easily pierced with a fork (20-30mins). Drain the potatoes and let it cool down completely (1-2 hours, or overnight). Once cooled, peel and discard the potato skin and use a hand grater to finely grate (use the small grating hole) the peeled potatoes into a bowl and set aside.

To save time, boil the potatoes the day before and let it cool overnight then peel and grate it the next day. Don’t peel or grate it too early or else the potato will start drying out.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cream of wheat, corn starch, and salt. Add in 1 whisked egg and the grated cooked potatoes. Use your hands or a stand mixer and work the dough until you get a smooth, soft, homogenous dough ball. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (roughly 330g each), each formed into fat logs (see photo). Make sure the length of your log does not exceed the diameter of your pot. Don’t worry if they’re not perfect logs. You’ll hardly notice when you serve them as slices.

Lightly boil a pot of water. Gently lower 2 logs into the water (if you have a small pot, you may want to cook just one at a time to not overcrowd them). Let them boil for 25 – 30 minutes. Occasionally move them around in the water to ensure they are not stuck to the bottom of the pot. They will start to float when they’re roughly halfway cooked. To check if they’re cooked, you can slice off a piece and try it – you should get a dense bread-y texture with a little bounce.

Tip: To save time and if you’ve got extra pots and the stove space, boil them all at once in separate pots so they’re all ready at the same time!

Once cooked, remove each log from the water onto a cutting board or drying rack and stab it a couple times with a chopstick or a fork to release the steam. Let it sit for a few minutes to slightly cool down, then slice into 1.5cm slices and serve!

Some examples of knedliky served in traditional Czech dishes:

Summarized Recipe:

Czech Potato Dumplings – Bramborové Knedlíky

Ingredients:

900g yellow/Yukon gold potatoes
260g (1.5 cups) all-purpose flour
160g (just under 1 cup) cream of wheat/farina
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or potato starch
1 tsp kosher/cooking salt
1 egg, whisked

Directions:

Prepare the potatoes (make ahead of time): Boil the potatoes with the skin on until soft and easily pierced with a fork (20-30mins). Drain the potatoes and let it cool down completely (1-2 hours, or overnight). Once cooled, peel and discard the potato skin and use a hand grater to finely grate the peeled potatoes into a bowl and set aside.
- To save time, boil the potatoes the day before and let it cool overnight then peel and grate it the next day. Don’t peel or grate it too early or else the potato will start drying out.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cream of wheat, corn starch, and salt. Add in 1 whisked egg and the grated cooked potatoes. Use your hands or a stand mixer and work the dough until you get a smooth, soft, homogenous dough ball. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (roughly 330g each), each formed into fat logs (see photo). Make sure the length of your log does not exceed the diameter of your pot.
- Don’t worry if they’re not perfect logs. You’ll hardly notice when you serve them as slices.
Lightly boil a pot of water. Gently lower 2 logs into the water (if you have a small pot, you may want to cook just one at a time to not overcrowd them). Let them boil for 25 – 30 minutes. Occasionally move them around in the water to ensure they are not stuck to the bottom of the pot. They will start to float when they’re roughly halfway cooked. To check if they’re cooked, you can slice off a piece and try it – you should get a dense bread-y texture with a little bounce.
- Tip: To save time and if you’ve got extra pots and the stove space, boil them all at once in separate pots so they’re all ready at the same time!
Once cooked, remove each log from the water onto a cutting board or drying rack and stab it a couple times with a chopstick or a fork to release the steam. Let it sit for a few minutes to slightly cool down, then slice into 1.5cm slices and serve!

February 13, 2024February 11, 2025

Abby6 Comments

Healthy “Creamy” Mushroom Broccoli Soup

Date Published: Jan 15th, 2024 | Last Updated: Jan 15th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: < 30mins, easy, quick, main, vegetarian, soups, appetizers, healthy, low-cal
Serves: 4-6 (as a main) | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Jump to recipe |

Keeping on the new years resolution, here’s another recipe to add to the healthy vault! This creamy soup hits the spot for something hearty on a chilly day yet won’t break the calorie bank. Coming in at only 252 calories per serving, there’s no actual cream in this soup at all – the creaminess of the soup comes from the puréed potatoes and oat milk. This soup is so easy and quick to make and is packed full of broccoli and mushrooms. You can whip it up in under 30 minutes and have lunch for the rest of the week.

Without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 + 1 cloves garlic, minced
300g white or portobello mushrooms, sliced
Pinch of dried thyme leaves
1 yellow onion, diced
2 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, washed and diced into 2cm cubes
2 large heads of broccoli, washed and cut into florets
4 cups (1L) chicken stock
2 cups of oat milk or soy milk
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
Croutons (optional)

Directions:

In a medium sized soup pot on MED heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add in 1 clove of minced garlic, sliced mushrooms, dried thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until cooked. Turn off the heat and remove the mushrooms and any liquid. Set aside.

In the same pot on MED heat, add another drizzle of olive oil and sauté the remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic and diced onion. When the onion has softened and turned translucent, add in the potatoes, broccoli, and chicken stock. Stir, then turn the heat up to HIGH to bring the soup to a boil, then turn it down to MED heat. Put on a lid and let it boil for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove 2 ladles of the ingredients in the pot (without any liquid) into a separate bowl and use a spatula to quickly break up the ingredients into small bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Add oat milk into the pot and bring the heat back up to HIGH to reach a boil, then turn the heat off.

Use a stick blender (or regular blender) to purée everything in the pot. If you want a creamier soup, turn the heat back on and simmer the soup until desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add back in the removed ingredients from step 3 and also the cooked mushrooms along with any of its liquid. Taste and readjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot with croutons. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Healthy “Creamy” Mushroom Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

2 + 1 cloves garlic, minced
300g white or portobello mushrooms, sliced
Pinch of dried thyme leaves
1 yellow onion, diced
2 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, washed and diced into 2cm cubes
2 large heads of broccoli, washed and cut into florets
4 cups (1L) chicken stock
2 cups of oat milk or soy milk
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
Croutons (optional)

Directions:

In a medium sized soup pot on MED heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add in 1 clove of minced garlic, sliced mushrooms, dried thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until cooked. Turn off the heat and remove the mushrooms and any liquid. Set aside.
In the same pot on MED heat, add another drizzle of olive oil and sauté the remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic and diced onion. When the onion has softened and turned translucent, add in the potatoes, broccoli, and chicken stock. Stir, then turn the heat up to HIGH to bring the soup to a boil, then turn it down to MED heat. Put on a lid and let it boil for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove 2 ladles of the ingredients in the pot (without any liquid) into a separate bowl and use a spatula to quickly break up the ingredients into small bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Add oat milk into the pot and bring the heat back up to HIGH to reach a boil, then turn the heat off.
Use a stick blender (or regular blender) to purée everything in the pot. If you want a creamier soup, turn the heat back on and simmer the soup until desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add back in the removed ingredients from step 3 and also the cooked mushrooms along with any of its liquid. Taste, and readjust any salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot with croutons. Enjoy!

January 16, 2024

Abby2 Comments

Steak & Blue Cheese Salad

Date Published: Jan 1st, 2024 | Last Updated: Jan 1st, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: salads, mains, healthy, easy, <30mins, low-cal, on the go
Serves: 2 large salads as a main | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 6 mins

Jump to recipe |

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I can’t believe it’s 2024 already. 2023 flew right by! It seems like just yesterday we moved to Brooklyn from Australia and I still feel like we haven’t completely settled in. There’s so much good food around us that I haven’t had as much inspiration to cook in the kitchen this past year, despite FINALLY living in our own space and having all of my kitchen things all in one place. Welp, all this eating out has been catching up to our bellies, so we’re starting 2024 eating healthy and getting our weights down (original, I know).

This steak and blue cheese salad is a copy cat from the one at Panera’s which has since been discontinued. It was my all time favourite salad and I was heartbroken the day they took it off the menu. This salad has been on the back of my mind for a LONG time, but I never quite got it right to make it just like Panera’s. Their cabernet reduction sauce still remains a mystery to this day. After many years, I’ve given up on making it exactly the same, but I managed to make a quick and easy version that satisfies the craving. This recipe is so easy and cooks up quickly, great for a busy evening.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

400g Sirloin steak(s), room temp
Salt and pepper
1 large romaine/cos lettuce heart, washed and chopped
Half a red onion, sliced thin
1.5 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and halved
1.5 cups of fried onions/shallots
1.5 cups blue cheese/gorgonzola crumbles
Fresh ground black pepper
Balsamic vinaigrette glaze (also works with balsamic vinaigrette if you don’t have the glaze on hand)

Directions:

Salt and pepper the steak(s) on both sides. Set up your grill or grill pan to HIGH heat and add a drizzle of oil. Cook the steaks on HIGH heat until you get a nice sear on both sides and cooked to medium rare (roughly 2.5 – 3 minutes on each side, cook times will vary depending on the thickness of your cut). Once the steaks are done, remove from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

While the steak is resting, assemble your salad: evenly divide the lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions/shallots, and blue cheese crumbles between two salad bowls. Add a sprinkling of fresh ground black pepper to each bowl then place the sliced steak over the salads. Drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette glaze over both salads. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Steak & Blue Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

400g Sirloin steak(s), room temp
Salt and pepper
1 large romaine/cos lettuce heart, washed and chopped
Half a red onion, sliced thin
1.5 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and halved
1.5 cups of fried onions/shallots
1.5 cups blue cheese crumbles
Fresh ground black pepper
Balsamic vinaigrette glaze (also works with balsamic vinaigrette if you don’t have the glaze on hand)

Directions:

Salt and pepper the steak(s) on both sides. Set up your grill or grill pan to HIGH heat and add a drizzle of oil. Cook the steaks on HIGH heat until you get a nice sear on both sides and cooked to medium rare (roughly 2.5 – 3 minutes on each side, cook times will vary depending on the thickness of your cut). Once the steaks are done, remove from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
While the steak is resting, assemble your salad: evenly divide the lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions/shallots, and blue cheese crumbles between two salad bowls. Add a sprinkling of fresh ground black pepper to each bowl then place the sliced steak over the salads. Drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette glaze over both salads. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

January 2, 2024January 2, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Spicy Asian Tuna Salad

Date Published: July 4th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 4th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sides/salads, <15mins
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10mins | Cook time: 5mins

Jump to recipe | Watch the video

Last weekend Toby’s dad took us deep sea tuna fishing with a fishing charter in Portland, Vic. My fishing experience is fairly limited but thankfully the charter set up all the rods for us, so all we had to do was wait until a tuna caught on and we take turns reeling them in. Luckily mine didn’t put up too much of a fight but Toby’s gave him a good workout. There was a limit of two tuna per person. We drove around for hours and caught some here and there, but alas we were two fish short of our max. We were on the boat for roughly 6 hours total. We took 4 fish home in total, ranging from 10-15kg (good thing Toby’s parents have a big freezer back on the farm). We youtube’d how to fillet a tuna and we filleted one tuna that night and have been eating it ever since. I’ve been scrambling to find some good tuna recipes and came upon some asian-inspired ones and played around with them. This recipe is the result of it! (I also used up some tuna in the salmon chowder recipe and subbed out the fish type – turned out delicious!)

This recipe has asian-inspired flavours. Some ingredients aren’t very traditionally asian (like the cranberries and raw carrots), but they have their role to play and I promise the overall flavour packs a punch! You end up with a mildly spicy, kinda sweet, crunchy, sesame tuna salad in the end. This recipe is easy and comes together quickly! You can watch the video below to guide you through the recipe.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Dressing:
- 4 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp asian chilli paste or sambal (I like to use the Lao Gan Ma crispy chilli oil (drained), but any chilli paste should do – you may want to adjust the proportions if your chilli sauce is very spicy). You can even use sriracha.
- 1 1/2 tsp honey
- 1/2 Tbsp ginger, grated

200g cooked or canned tuna, flaked and drained well
- You can use canned tuna, but for my purposes I was trying to use up the tuna fillets from our fishing trip so I quickly cooked the tuna in the oven at 180˚C for 10mins and flaked it for this recipe.
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 Tbsp green onions, chopped (~2 stalks)
1/3 cup carrots, chopped finely
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 Tbsp lemon juice

I was quite conservative with the spice level in this recipe – just spicy enough to leave your mouth with a slight tingle. You can choose to omit the chili powder altogether if you’re not into spicy or even double it if you’re a spice fiend. The spiciness of your chili paste will also determine how spicy your tuna salad is.

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients: mayonnaise, sesame oil, light soy sauce, asian chilli oil, honey, ginger. Set aside.

In a bigger bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients: tuna, cranberries, green onion, carrots, sesame seeds, chili powder and lemon juice. Once combined, add in the dressing and mix until incorporated. Serve!

You can serve this as a snack or appetizer or side dish. My favourite way to serve this is in some lettuce leaves as wraps. The crisp and freshness of the lettuce cuts through the heaviness of the salad. You can also have it with crackers or spread in a tortilla to make a burrito or even between some bread to make an easy tuna salad with a punch. I also like to serve it with lemon wedges for extra zing!

Watch the Video Tutorial!

Summarized Recipe:

Spicy Asian Tuna Salad

Date Published: July 4th, 2020 | Last Updated: July 4th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sides/salads, <15mins
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10mins | Cook time: 5mins

Ingredients:

Dressing:
- 4 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp asian chilli oil (I like to use the Lao Gan Ma crispy chilli oil (drained), but any chilli oil/sauce should do – you may want to adjust the proportions if your chilli sauce is very spicy)
- 1 1/2 tsp honey
- 1/2 Tbsp ginger, grated

1 1/2 cups (200g) cooked/canned tuna, flaked and drained
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 Tbsp green onions, chopped (~2 stalks)
1/3 cup carrots, chopped finely
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients: mayonnaise, sesame oil, light soy sauce, asian chilli oil, honey, ginger. Set aside.
In a bigger bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients: tuna, cranberries, green onion, carrots, sesame seeds, chili powder and lemon juice. Once combined, add in the dressing and mix until incorporated. Serve!

Notes:

You can serve this as a snack or appetizer or side dish.
My favourite way to serve this is in some lettuce leaves as wraps. You can also have it with crackers or spread in a tortilla to make a burrito or even between some bread to make an easy tuna salad with a punch.

July 4, 2020September 6, 2020

Abby3 Comments